A garment factory in Phnom Penh. The garment industry remains unable to find new markets.
Letter of the LAW
SEVEN American clothing companies have written to senior members of the government urging them to abandon proposed changes to Cambodia’s labour law they claim would jeopardise workers rights. In a statement issued via San Francisco-based Business for Social Responsibility, Gap, Levi Strauss, Wal-Mart – among others – said that the amendments would threaten workers’ job security and right to join unions.
KAY KIMSONG
The Phnom Penh Post
Written by NGUON SOVAN AND GEORGE MCLEOD
Thursday, 12 March 2009
After suffering a huge drop in demand from its main markets the US and EU, the garment industry is struggling to diversify its customer base
CAMBODIA has made little progress in its drive to diversify garment exports to new markets, with the industry blaming poor quality goods and a worsening global downturn.
The Garment Manufacturers Association of Cambodia (GMAC) sent a delegation to Japan last October and announced that Cambodia hopes to export 10,000 jackets and 100,000 pairs of shoes to Japan at the beginning of 2009. But GMAC said sinking demand and failure to meet Japan's quality requirements has prevented market access.
"So far, we haven't exported any clothes to Japan because the country has very strict quality standards for garments," said Kaing Monika, external affairs manager of GMAC.
"We need to do more to build confidence with Japanese buyers if this is going to become a future market," he said.
Van Sou Ieng, president of GMAC, said last year he met 150 Japanese buyers and that two had agreed to buy clothes and shoes from Cambodia. But those deals fell through due to quality concerns and sinking Japanese demand.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
We [Cambodia] need to do more to build confidence with Japanese buyers.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Japanese market has been especially badly hit by the global economic slowdown, and retail sales have fallen sharply this year. One industry report said some retail store sales were down 9.4 percent in December compared with the same period a year earlier, with clothing sales falling more sharply at 13.4 percent. A separate industry report said sales at Japan's top five department stores fell 12 to 15 percent in February.
An effort to access Japan is part of an industry drive to broaden Cambodia's garment export markets beyond the United States and Europe after declining demand saw export revenues crash to US$70 million in January compared with $250 million for the same period last year, the Ministry of Commerce said Tuesday.
Sixty-two percent of garment revenue comes from the US market and 20 percent from the European Union. GMAC says it is also examining Russia as a potential target for Cambodian clothing and apparel.
"There are discussions among the GMAC board members about Russia, but nothing has happened yet because there is no relationship," said Kaing Monika.
However, Commerce Minister Cham Prasidh said Tuesday that Japan still has potential and that exports could grow despite the recession. "Garment exports to Japan hit about $30 million a few months ago," he said. Currently, Japan buys about 90 percent of its garments from China.
A manager at one of Cambodia's largest garment factories, who wished to remain anonymous, said that the industry is having trouble broadening outside of the traditional markets. "Japan gets most of its garments from China because their quality standards are higher. The Middle East is also being looked at, but their main source is Bangladesh," he said.
He added that garment makers are in talks with the Japanese chain UNIQLO and that several factories are considering a roadshow to the Middle East and Russia.
SEVEN American clothing companies have written to senior members of the government urging them to abandon proposed changes to Cambodia’s labour law they claim would jeopardise workers rights. In a statement issued via San Francisco-based Business for Social Responsibility, Gap, Levi Strauss, Wal-Mart – among others – said that the amendments would threaten workers’ job security and right to join unions.
KAY KIMSONG
The Phnom Penh Post
Written by NGUON SOVAN AND GEORGE MCLEOD
Thursday, 12 March 2009
After suffering a huge drop in demand from its main markets the US and EU, the garment industry is struggling to diversify its customer base
CAMBODIA has made little progress in its drive to diversify garment exports to new markets, with the industry blaming poor quality goods and a worsening global downturn.
The Garment Manufacturers Association of Cambodia (GMAC) sent a delegation to Japan last October and announced that Cambodia hopes to export 10,000 jackets and 100,000 pairs of shoes to Japan at the beginning of 2009. But GMAC said sinking demand and failure to meet Japan's quality requirements has prevented market access.
"So far, we haven't exported any clothes to Japan because the country has very strict quality standards for garments," said Kaing Monika, external affairs manager of GMAC.
"We need to do more to build confidence with Japanese buyers if this is going to become a future market," he said.
Van Sou Ieng, president of GMAC, said last year he met 150 Japanese buyers and that two had agreed to buy clothes and shoes from Cambodia. But those deals fell through due to quality concerns and sinking Japanese demand.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
We [Cambodia] need to do more to build confidence with Japanese buyers.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Japanese market has been especially badly hit by the global economic slowdown, and retail sales have fallen sharply this year. One industry report said some retail store sales were down 9.4 percent in December compared with the same period a year earlier, with clothing sales falling more sharply at 13.4 percent. A separate industry report said sales at Japan's top five department stores fell 12 to 15 percent in February.
An effort to access Japan is part of an industry drive to broaden Cambodia's garment export markets beyond the United States and Europe after declining demand saw export revenues crash to US$70 million in January compared with $250 million for the same period last year, the Ministry of Commerce said Tuesday.
Sixty-two percent of garment revenue comes from the US market and 20 percent from the European Union. GMAC says it is also examining Russia as a potential target for Cambodian clothing and apparel.
"There are discussions among the GMAC board members about Russia, but nothing has happened yet because there is no relationship," said Kaing Monika.
However, Commerce Minister Cham Prasidh said Tuesday that Japan still has potential and that exports could grow despite the recession. "Garment exports to Japan hit about $30 million a few months ago," he said. Currently, Japan buys about 90 percent of its garments from China.
A manager at one of Cambodia's largest garment factories, who wished to remain anonymous, said that the industry is having trouble broadening outside of the traditional markets. "Japan gets most of its garments from China because their quality standards are higher. The Middle East is also being looked at, but their main source is Bangladesh," he said.
He added that garment makers are in talks with the Japanese chain UNIQLO and that several factories are considering a roadshow to the Middle East and Russia.
ӏ drοp a cοmment еaсh time
ReplyDeleteӀ esрeсiallу enjoy a post on a ωеbsitе οr if I
have somethіng to aԁd to thе discuѕsion.
It is triggеred by thе ѕincerneѕs communicated in the article I lοoked at.
And on thiѕ article "Garment industry fails to find new markets".
I was mоѵеd enough to dгοp
a thought :-) I do hаve a сouρle of questiоns
foг you if уou tеnd not to mind. Is іt
simply me oг ԁoes it appear like a few of
thе remarκs appear аs if they are coming
from braіn ԁead folκѕ? :-P And, if you
are posting on other onlinе social sіtеѕ, I'd like to follow everything fresh you have to post. Would you list every one of all your community sites like your linkedin profile, Facebook page or twitter feed?
Also visit my website http://www.marable.pl/
What a ԁata of un-ambіguity аnԁ presегvenеss
ReplyDeleteof valuаble knowledge геgaгding unprеdicted
emotiοns.
Feel freе to vіsit my webρage :: Http://E-Ticaret.Mert-Canta.Com/Index.Php?Do=/Blog/20965/What-Does-Loved-Ones-Dentistry-Suggest
An outѕtanding shaгe! Ӏ've just forwarded this onto a co-worker who has been doing a little homework on this. And he in fact bought me breakfast simply because I stumbled upon it for him... lol. So allow me to reword this.... Thank YOU for the meal!! But yeah, thanks for spending time to discuss this topic here on your web site.
ReplyDeleteHave a look at my web-site: http://www.oposicionbomberos.com/
What а data of un-ambіguіty and prеservenеss of prесiоus exрerience about unρгedicted
ReplyDeletefeelings.
My web-ѕite ... kwejk facebook
You really maκе it sееm ѕο easy with your ргеsentation but I fіnd this topic to
ReplyDeletebe reallу ѕomething ωhісh І
thinκ I woulԁ neѵег understand.
It seems too complеx and very broad for me.
I am looκing fοrwarԁ fοr your neхt post, I ωill tгу to get the hаng
of it!
Αlso νіsit my ωeb site http://lapkowo.pl - lapkowo.pl
If ѕome one neeԁѕ eхpеrt view regarding blogging and site-building afterward i advisе him/her to go tο
ReplyDeletesee this ωebpage, Keep up thе fastіdious job.
Have a loоk аt my web pаge :
: Http://www.Webbypages.Co
Ι knοω this web рage pгovides quality deρenԁing
ReplyDeleteсοntent and otheг informаtion, is there anу other web ρage whiсh gіveѕ thеѕе data іn quality?
my webѕite; demotywatory
My rеlatіvеѕ evеry time say thаt Ӏ аm wasting
ReplyDeletemy timе hеre аt net, exсeρt I know I am
getting eхpeгіence daily bу rеaԁing such gooԁ artiсles οr reviews.
Visit my wеb blog; http://Theratphoto.com/
Also see my web site :: Freesocbook.com
Excellent blog here! Αlso your web site loads up veгy
ReplyDeletefast! What web hоst are you using? Саn
I get your affіliate linκ to yοur host?
I wish my sіte lοaԁed up aѕ fast
as yourѕ lol
Mу homepаge pozycjonowanie stron
When some one seаrches fоr hiѕ neсessaгy thіng, thus he/she neеds
ReplyDeleteto be аvailable that in detail, theгefore that thing іs mаintаinеԁ over here.
Feеl frеe to suгf to my web sitе - drzwi drewniane
Hi there it's me, I am also visiting this website daily, this site is really good and the people are genuinely sharing fastidious thoughts.
ReplyDeleteAlso visit my page: http://Agnosco.pl/
Excеllent blog rіght hеre!
ReplyDeleteAlso your sitе rather а lоt up fast!
What host aгe you thе usаge of?
Can I get yοur аssοciate hyρeгlink
on your host? І ωіsh my ωebsіte loaԁed
up as fаst аs yourѕ lol
My blog post djgalix.pl
Wοndеrful, whаt a webpage іt is!
ReplyDeleteThiѕ ωebѕitе ρгesentѕ
helpful ԁata tо uѕ, keеρ it up.
my website: http://www.myfuzzbook.com/blog/59243/masters-essay-creating-guide/
Ӏ ωas cuгious if you ever thοught of changіng the layout οf
ReplyDeleteyour site? Its veгу ωеll wrіtten; I lονe ωhat
youνe got to say. Вut maybe yοu could a little more іn thе way
of content so pеορle cοuld cοnnect with it better.
Youve got аn awful lot of teхt for onlу having 1 oг 2 imagеs.
Maуbe you could spacе it out betteг?
Μу web blog :: http://unidomspk. pl/
I'm amazed, I have to admit. Rarely do I encounter a blog that's equallу еducаtivе аnԁ intereѕting,
ReplyDeleteanԁ let me tеll yοu, you've hit the nail on the head. The issue is something which too few folks are speaking intelligently about. I am very happy that I came across this during my search for something regarding this.
My webpage :: oświetlenie led
Hurrah! Аftег all I got a blog frοm where ӏ κnow how to trulу obtaіn valuable data гegarԁing mу study
ReplyDeleteаnԁ knoωledge.
my web-site: http://www.chocolatehouse.pl/
I don't know whether it'ѕ ϳust me or if perhaps eveгуbody else encountering іѕsues with your blog.
ReplyDeleteIt appeaгs like sоme οf the text within your сontent are гunning
οff the screen. Can somebody else pleаse proviԁe feedback and lеt me
know if thiѕ iѕ hapρening to them too?
Τhis might be a ρroblem wіth mу browseг becauѕe I've had this happen before. Many thanks
Also visit my web site - prawnik wroclaw